The World, War, Freedom, And More

THE WORLD, WAR, FREEDOM, AND MORE.

THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO THE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN OF OUR ARMED FORCES

DO IT QUICK AND RIGHT EYE OF THE STORM INNOCENCE OF HEROES THE VIET NAM VET WHO'DA THOUGHT IT? BETTER LATE THAN NEVER THE WALL PASS IT ON BULLETS, BAND-AIDS, BEANS OLD GLORY THE GOOD OL' DAYS MEMORIAL DAY FREEDOMS' MEMORIAL PAUSE A MOMENT INDEPENDENCE DAY TWO FOR ONE A CONSTITUTION RESOLUTION WE, THE PEOPLE LADY LIBERTY - STILL YOUNG A THANKS GIVING DON'T CHALLENG'ER IN QUEST UNTITLED CHIEF JOSEPH THE NEVER ENDING TRAIL FALLING TEAR MANS' DESTINY? PEOPLE PROGRESS? THE MINDS' EYE ENDANGERED SPECIES? SILENT MESSAGE A FISH STORY? THEN THERE WERE...... ANOTHER YEAR THAT WAS THINGS UNDONE END EPILOGUE

PROLOGUE The title of this collection entails so much more than what is written upon these pages. Some of the material may seem outdated but unfortunately will always be current unless we, the people of the world opt for a better way to conduct ourselves and resolve our problems and conflicts. The days of "us and them" are gone forever and the size of our planet becomes smaller with each passing day. We are a world community and must learn to respect one and all if we hope to save the Earth from total destruction. It may be brought on by a war between nations or the lack of one against the decimation of our environment, poverty and hunger. The reader may find my writings pessimistic and/or contradictory. I do have my moments of optimism but for the most part they are short-lived like most of the events which bring those feelings on. If humankind is to survive we must commit ourselves to the protection of our environment, the basic needs and rights for all and world peace. At the time of this writing, February 19, 1991 we are at war with Iraq. The Russians are trying to negotiate an Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait and there is talk and hopes for peace. I don't believe we are going to allow that to happen until we are certain Saddam is no longer in power or dead and his war making capabilities are destroyed. So be it! There is no place in today’s' world for the likes of him but the sad reality is there will always those kinds of sadistic maniacs. A POET KNOWS NOT DAY FROM NIGHT AND NOT ALWAYS WRONG FROM RIGHT BUT THINK OF WHAT WE MIGHTN'T HEARD WITHOUT THE POETS WRITTEN WORD.

DO IT QUICK AND RIGHT The drums of war are beating Fear and tension fill the air Especially in the minds of those We have sent over there. Sons and daughters of our people With their lives laid on the line Except for the rich and powerful Who say, "You can't have mine!". Once more we have to stand up For the freedoms we have known Though a few stand beside us We may as well be alone. Most say, "We are behind you." But that is where they'll stay They'll give us a few dollars For the supreme price we will pay.

The President told them With guts and I think, class They had better get out Or we would kick their ass. So, if we're going to do it Let's do it quick and do it right Let's bury Saddam and Iraq In one decisive fight.

EYE OF THE STORM The winds of war are blowing Across the sands of Arab land Stirring hate and violence Against those who'll make a stand. There's a turbulent mixture Of people who feel they're right Swirling 'round ancient disputes They think are worth the fight. One nation's been dispossessed It's basic freedoms blown away By the "mad dog" of Iraq But Saddam won't have his way. Our bombs drop from the sky above In a downpour like constant rain If we don't get them the first time We'll pour it on them again. They have no place to run And they have nowhere to hide And eventually they'll drown In the ever-rising tide. From the cold and dreary gloom Of wars' dark overcast There's victory and justice In a future world forecast. In the eye of Desert Storm we stand (Not a pleasant place to be) To quell this tempest of our world In the name of Liberty.

INNOCENCE OF HEROES We see faces of innocence Upon our nations' youth But they've the hearts of heroes When it comes to Liberty and Truth. Young men and women of the Service Standing straight and proud and tall Ready to fight for Freedom Ready to give their all. Those faces of innocence Will return, all, world-wise Still looking young in body But lifetimes' knowledge in their eyes. There are some who will come home To grieving families and friends Just a memory to those loved ones Whose loss never really ends. Yet those faces of innocence And those young heroes' hearts Will come of age once more With dreams each new life imparts. Another generation born To this world of war and strife Searching for the elusive answer To lasting peacetime in their life. Why must this crazy world Breed such pain and misery? When will the human race Let young innocence be? 'Guess there will always be a madman Who is filled with hate and greed Who will force himself on others And plant that killing seed. And there will always be Those young heroes who will fight Who will leave their innocence behind For what they know is right. THE VIET NAM VET

It's a very unique club I see it everywhere I see man embracing man A tear that says, "I care!". There's a special look in eyes That words cannot explain I see joy for this life Sometimes the living pain. There's a camaraderie That's very rare these days They let it show without shame In so many different ways. I wasn't there, (thank the Lord.) So I can't really know I can only sense and feel Those things which I see show. The patience, understanding Which only they can feel There is something very special And something very real. WHO'DA THOUGHT IT? A man with one leg Another, crippled, bent Should remind us what it costs And just how much was "spent" Not in dollars and sense(?) But in lives and misery Things those of us safe at home Didn't want to see We watched it on the "tube" Just like it was some John Wayne show And how lucky we were We will never, ever know We sat in our easy chairs Sipping a cold beer Switching channels, war to football So we could root and cheer For our favorite teams (Some games we won't forget) But easily pushed from our minds Was the Viet Nam War Vet It's a little better now Some are starting to care Trying to understand

Problems brought home from there It was a different war Just ask those who fought it You might learn about some things And say, "I'da never thought it." BETTER LATE THAN NEVER They went across the ocean To fight in that Asian war On behalf of freedom, justice For peoples of that foreign shore. More than fifty-eight thousand men Faced wars' reality Bravely sacrificed their lives So that others might be free. Most of them were very young And now, it seems such a waste That war accomplished nothing And has left a bitter taste. Those who did survive came home To a country which turned away We didn't know how to greet them We didn't know what to say. They came home to a nation That said it didn't care Said it didn't want to know about What went on over there. The tide is finally turning Don't you think it's about time We gave some praise to all of those Who laid their life on the line? THE WALL (recited at Orange County Vietnam Veterans Memorial, in Orlando , FL, 1983) There's a wall of marble Five hundred feet long Ten feet high, scribed with names Of those who died, the strong. There's more than fifty-eight thousand Etched upon that stone -

Most of them died so young This life, they've never known. It's such a small tribute To those who fought our war Such a small price we pay To those who gave much more. Their name carved in a rock That most of us won't read Not near enough praise to give For their most gracious deed. Seems there's too many of us Who don't really seem to care That we stayed home secure and safe While they died over there. Remember when you see that Wall With all those initials and names That those men were only pawns In one more of those deadly games. Let's hope what they gave had meaning And that peace will always reign That we won't have to send our young To fight and die again. PASS IT ON Before you pass the torch Be sure the battle has been won Don't give up the fighting After it has been begun. Be sure that your goal is just And that each assault is fair Though you may face an enemy Don't forget to feel and care. There are some wars can be won With a shot that's barely heard With a broadside or direct hit Of a well aimed word. It so sad the torch of peace Is not the one that is passed on Instead of that of war and pain That's burned since humankinds' dawn.

BULLETS, BAND-AIDS AND BE-ANS He sent them bullets and band-aids and beansCombat boots and lethal machines To fight for a cause that would be what was Without those bullets and band-aids and beans. He sent them hope for Democracy And a land where people are free He did it behind those who were so blind The immense danger they could not see. He said as he marched up the "Hill" "Do with me whatever you will. But don't turn away from those who will pay With their life, for their dream to fulfill." "If we choose to let their dreams die Someday we'll look and we'll ask why The Red Tide is washing on our shore And we're bidding our freedom, goodbye." "So send them bullets and band-aids and beans Combat boots and lethal machines To fight for our cause which will be what was Without those bullets and band-aids and beans." OLD GLORY More than two hundred years ago Betsy Ross sewed strips of rag From those bits of colored cloth Was shaped "Old Glory", our grand flag. Stripes of red and white For the thirteen colonies White stars against the blue Began waving in the breeze. It's gone through minor changes With stars added, as we grew It's flown proudly o'er our land And in some other countries, too. That symbol of our freedom Should be protected, at all cost But now our reverence for it Seems, to be getting lost.

There are some things so sacred To our great American way That, those who desecrate it Should, have a price, to pay. Even though each buys his own That flag belongs to us all It's owned by all the people And we should never let it fall. THE GOOD OL' DAYS They said, "It's alright to burn it." "You can throw it to the ground." "You can wear it on your back. That symbol of the freedom bound. It's been through catastrophes Flown high in wartimes' strife Men swore they would protect it And did so with their life. What makes them so supreme The high court of this land To tell us when those Stars and Stripes Should fall; when they should stand. What right do they think they have To let our flag be set ablaze Once, it was loved and respected Back there, in the good ol' days. MEMORIAL DAY A time for picnics, time off work Vacations and the "Indy" A holiday, too often times We forget what, it should be. A time to pay respect to those Who rallied to the battle cry Who gave their lives for liberty Those freedoms for you and I. Such a waste of brave young souls Some still struggling through their youth

Who faced and fell willingly Before wartimes' awful truth. So as we share this holiday With our friends or family Take a moment to give thanks to Those who died so we'd stay free. Let us strive for world peace For the end of greed and hate For next time, after "the war" It just may be too damned late. FREEDOMS' MEMORIAL This day is set aside to honor those who took the chance to die. But they have died in vain if we ever forget the reason why. Freedom can be like time slipping away before we even know. But we all have the choice more, a duty to battle freedoms' foe. Let us give thanks this day to all those brave who paid the highest cost. Not take it for granted and realize it easily could be lost. PAUSE A MOMENT Friends and family gather For Independence Day We'll celebrate our freedom And the American way. They'll be picnics in the park And fireworks in the sky

As some salute "Old Glory" With a teardrop in their eye. There's some who can't be with us They died in some foreign land For when Liberty was threatened They heard the call and made their stand. So, as we reap the harvest Of the great American dream Let's pause a moment, thank those Who paid the price, supreme. INDEPENDENCE DAY In the year of 1776 That paper was decreed They were tired of oppression And wanted to be freed . They wrote a Declaration So the whole world would see This was, "the home of the brave And the land of the free". They signed that piece of parchment The leaders of this land Knowing, divided they would fall But, together they could stand. A new world lay before them Untamed from shore to shore They swore the would protect it If it meant going to war. Battles have been fought And many lives have been lost So sad something so basic Has such a high, high cost. 'Seems freedom is a luxury There's some would bind us all Like then, together, we can stand But divided, we will fall. More than two hundred years Have past by since that day That each of us celebrate In our own different way.

We should be proud and thankful Pay our share of the cost Not take freedom for granted For it easily could be lost. TWO FOR ONE Just a piece of parchment paper With words formed by a quill ink pen That begin with, "We, the people." Includes Amendments One through Ten. That ink has dried two centuries Its' words though still crisp and clear And we should celebrate their writing More than each, hundredth year. They give us each the life we live Provide our priceless liberty That more than any place on Earth There is a land where one is free. On July the Fourth we celebrate Our Freedoms' Declaration But the American Constitution's What really made this nation. A CONSTITUTION RESOLUTION More than two hundred years have passed And it has withstood the test A timeless writ of foresight Though not perfect, still the best. Those words upon that parchment Promise equal rights to all Words inspired by mans need To answer freedoms' call. A prophecy of future ways Which still works for us today (How did they know what to write So it would turn out that way?). Laws are changed and amended If they people will it so But there are so few of them We ever will outgrow.

It's been discussed and debated Interpreted differently But the basics remain the same Protecting the land of the free. An unlimited guarantee With no expiration date If those words had not been written This world might face a different fate. So let's celebrate and think about The laws of this great land For without them all would be lost Wiped 'way by some tyrants' hand. WE, THE PEOPLE We, the people of these United States To form a more perfect union Do, hereby ordain and reestablish This American Constitution To promote a general Welfare Provide a common Defence And to establish equal Justice In a setting from whence We, the people of this Great Nation In safe Tranquility Can secure all the Blessings Of guaranteed Liberty. AMENDMENT I We have the Right to Assemble Freedom of Press and Speech The Right for all to Petition And all Religions to Preach. AMENDMENT II We have the Right to a Militia For State Security The Right to keep and bear Arms One more Guarantee. > AMENDMENT III In times when there is Peace Then the Right to Commandeer Possessions by the Soldier The Law says, "No.", it's clear -

But if it is in Wartime Then, for those who live its' Hell The Law says, we must open doors Provide them a place to Dwell. AMENDMENT IV Illegal Searches are Prohibited As for Seizures, it's the same Unless a Warrant has been issued That states specific Place and Name. AMENDMENT V No person without Due Process Shall be Tried for any Crime And for any one Offense Shall be Indicted just one time No one shall have to Testify Against themselves, if they do Life, Liberty, and Property To be Protected by Laws too. AMENDMENT VI One accused of Crime has Right To a speedy public Trial To a Jury of his Peers To Legal Counsel all the while To confront his Accusers To have Witness for his side To be Convicted by the Proof Not by things merely implied. AMENDMENT VII The Right to Jury Trial Shall always be preserved Except, as is Provided The Judgement will be Observed. AMENDMENT VIII No Excessive Fines will be imposed Excessive Bail is not permitted No Cruel, Unusual Punishment Is to be Inflicted. AMENDMENT IX Those Rights listed herein Shall not take away From those retained by the People

Or the Will, of what they say. > AMENDMENT X The Laws other that those stated Shall be written by each State By the Will of the People To unique problems, they'll relate. These First through Tenth Amendments Of our Constitution Are the most important For our Freedoms' Resolution We must always Protect them And not let them slip away For, though they don't work perfectly This World has not a better way. LADY LIBERTY STILL YOUNG AT HEART You're a grand and stately "Lady" Your head held up so proud and high A book of our laws in one hand The other lighting freedoms' sky. You have greeted many millions To the gates of freedoms' land You offered them a way of life Not found in their Fatherland. You have welcomed home our troops From those far-off foreign wars Where we fought and died for liberty To keep oppression from our shores. You've observed a lot of changes And through all, stayed young at heart Still honoring those promises Which were made right at the start. Now you are a century old But you do not show your age Though in the books of history You have turned many a page. So have a Happy Birthday, Lady And may your light forever shine We thank you for your tireless vigil At the worlds' freedom lifeline.

A THANKS GIVING It's a day to give thanks For all we have at hand To realize we're lucky To live in freedoms' land. A day to share a feast With family and/or friends To bow our heads and pray That this good life never ends. A day to remind us all That our blessings are not free That this country we live in Truly is, 'tis of thee. DON'T CHALLENG'ER Well, the giant silver bird Has passed another test And this time She came back home She returned to Her nest. Four hundred miles per hour More than three miles high She sure was a pretty sight As She streaked across the sky. In the early morning light She made a "booming" sound Her head held high, bold and proud As She dropped to the ground. She'd been in another world For one week and a day High above the Earth and clouds Where people look to pray. Taken so much for granted In this here day and age But in the books of history She wrote another page. IN QUEST

Challenging the earths' heavens These seven pioneers Embarked to gain new knowledge To conquer new frontiers A new world lay before them The light of a new dawn A place of unknown dangers Where man has always gone To see beyond horizons To peer over the next hill Always a goal of mankind One, he must try to fulfill Some have come through unscathed And some were bound to die But none of them have failed For they had the will to try These gained immortality Though, on a tragic page In the book of history Of this newborn space age They offered and gave their all They paid the price supreme As mankind has always done In his quest of a dream. UNTITLED Challenger, I watched you As you first invaded space And you flew over me one morn To return to your home base. You went back out again Different people in control Though you were just a machine You'd helped man reach his goal. We will probably never know Why you said you were done But why did you have to take The lives of those brave seven? You made yourself immortal With those you held inside To those who knew your "soul" To those below who cried. You did yourself so proud With your triumph over space -

But with your last attempt You caused so many a sad face. "Don't Challenge 'Er.", I said The first time around But for these final words There's no title to be found. CHIEF JOSEPH The land of Winding Waters In the place known as Oregon Sacred land deeded to them At the first rising of the sun These Nez Perce, people of Joseph Were the heart of their homeland Where the great eagle soared the sky Above treetops of forests, grand Where ponies grazed the green glade And naked boys, mounted bareback Laughing and shouting happily Raced to some certain place and back Young bodies glistening with droplets Of crystal, cool water that cools Bronze skin drying in bright sunlight On sandbars of eddying pools A land of peace and contentment Where man could walk, proud and free Where his roots grew deep into the Earth Where heart and soul would always be They would fish for the great Salmon On their homeward river run Bound, with great determination To where their life had first begun Something in their blood akin to mans' When he has long been on the roam Some compelling force within That leads him back to his home They seemed insurmountable Those obstacles to be leapt But only death would stop his trek To where heart and soul were kept. The Salmon jumped high from the water Buried 'neath the Earth the Camas roots Herds of Buffalo across the mountains Known as the Bitterroots It truly was a land of plenty Blessed by the Great Chief in the sky And loved by the Nez Perce people Born there to live until they'd die -

It was home, their heritage Where their forefathers' wisdom Echoed from the Burial Grounds Which was listened to and done Around campfires Chiefs told stories Of the paleface searching for the sea How, Chief Twisted Hair drew a map To show them where it might be They returned with tales of conquests Which still live until this day Of how this Indian Nation helped Lewis and Clark find their way. A peaceful tribe like most Who tried to share with the white man Until the forked-tongued ones Tried to force them from their land Under the flag of truce Fired on by those in blue Chief Joseph gave the war cry Of the battle that ensued Nearly three months of fighting As the Nez Perce tried to flee To the safety of Canada Where they hoped they could be free But the bluecoats kept on coming And despite their valiant fight Joseph bowed in surrender On one cold September night. He said, "Most of our Chiefs are killed And too many Braves lay dead." As he cast down his rifle He raised his blanket o'er his head He said, "My heart is sick and sad. Our children freeze in the weather. From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more, forever." Placed on far-off reservations And finally back to the Northwest Never to return to Wallowa The land they loved, the best One hundred-fifty of them left Sent to the Colville Reservation Sentenced to a life of poverty Was another Great Indian Nation. In the year of nineteen hundred-four Chief Josephs' Spirit did depart And a doctor who examined him Said, "He died of a broken heart." In this story lies a moral And a shameful legacy That to this day defiles the words, "The Land Of The Free!".

THE NEVER ENDING TRAIL We whites honor the "Hermitage" And the man who once lived there But, that leader of our Nation Was cruel, unjust, unfair He ordered the removal Of the Cherokee from their land And forced them on a trek That the Devil must have planned One thousand miles of misery Of pain and suffering Because greed of the white man Could not even wait till spring We should bow our heads in shame Even unto this day About "The Trail Of Tears" And those who died along the way. It was October, eighteen thirty-eight When seven thousand troops in blue Began the story of the "Trail" Which, so sadly, is so true Jackson ordered General Scott To rout the Indian from their home The "Center Of The World" they loved The only one they'd known The Braves working in the fields Arrested, placed in a stockade Women and children dragged from home In the bluecoats shameful raid Some were prodded with bayonets When, they were deemed to move too slow To where the Sky was their blanket And the cold Earth, their pillow In one home a Babe had died Sometime in the night before And women mourning, planning burial Were cruelly herded out the door In another, a frail Mother Papoose on back and two in tow Was told she must leave her home Was told that she must go She uttered a quiet prayer Told the old family dog good-bye Then, her broken heart gave out And she sank slowly down to die Chief Junaluska witnessed this Tears streaming down his face Said if he could have known this It would have never taken place -

For, at the battle of Horse Shoe With five hundred Warriors, his best Helped Andrew Jackson win that battle And lay thirty-three Braves to rest And the Chief drove his tomahawk Through a Creek Warrior's head Who was about to kill Jackson But whose life was saved, instead Chief John Ross knew this story And once sent Junaluska to plead Thinking Jackson would listen to This Chief who did that deed But, Jackson was cold, indifferent To the one he owed his life to Said, "The Cherokee's fate is sealed There's nothing, I can do." Washington, D.C. had decreed They must be moved Westward And all their pleas and protests To this day still go unheard. On November, the seventeenth Old Man Winter reared his head And freezing cold, sleet and snow Littered that trail with the dead On one night, at least twenty-two Were released from their torment To join that Great Spirit in the Sky Where all good souls are sent Many humane, heroic stories Were written 'long the way A monument, for one of them Still stands until this day It seems one noble woman It was Chief Ross' wife Gave her blanket to a sick child And in so doing, gave her life She is buried in an unmarked grave Dug shallow near the "Trail" Just one more tragic ending In this tragic, shameful tale Mother Nature showed no mercy Till they reached the end of the line When that fateful journey ended On March twenty-sixth, eighteen thirty-nine. Each mile of this infamous "Trail" Marks the graves of four who died Four thousand poor souls in all Marks the shame we try to hide You still can hear them crying

Along "The Trail Of Tears" If you listen with your heart And not with just your ears. The preceding was partly inspired by a story told to children by John Burnett on the occasion of his eightieth birthday in 1890. It was printed in a book titled "Cherokee Legends And The Trail Of Tears", adapted by Thomas Bryan Underwood. My main inspiration, though is the shame and disgust I feel as I learn more about the atrocities perpetrated by our forefathers and the injustices which still occur to the true Native Americans. John Burnett was a Private in an infantry company which took part in the Cherokee Removal of 1838-1839. Near the end of his story he says, in part, "Future generations will read and condemn the act .....". Do we? In closing he says, "However, murder is murder whether committed by the villain skulking in the dark or by uniformed men stepping to the strains of martial music. Murder is murder and somebody must answer, somebody must explain the streams of blood that flowed in the Indian country in the summer of 1838. Somebody must explain the four thousand silent graves that mark the trail of the Cherokees to their exile. I wish I could forget it all, but the picture of six hundred and forty-five wagons lumbering over the frozen ground with their Cargo of suffering humanity still lingers in my memory. Let the historian of a future day tell the sad story with its' sighs, its' tears and dying groans. Let the great Judge of all the earth weigh our ac-tions and reward us according to our work." If only it worked that way! FALLING TEAR She is adorned in buckskin Beads and turquoise sewn around Her hair, long, black, and shiny Her soft skin a golden brown. The Princess of a Nation From those days of used to be When proud Indians could roam From mountains to sea to sea. The old customs of her people She holds dearest to her heart And watching as those old ways die Is tearing her heart apart. Once, there were unwritten laws Which most everyone would heed But the ways of the white man Has planted a bitter seed. He has raped the fertile land And plundered Gods' Creations He's stolen from and cheated All of the Indian Nations. The Government has written

Many treaties of false word And the red mans' cry for rights To this day still go, unheard. Falling Tear is an American A true native of this land Whose tears fall for the injustice As she waits for Truth to make a stand. MANS' DESTINY? It seems that the human race Was born to fight and kill It seems that we always have And that we always will. We're the only life on Earth That takes life for the joy It seems we're not happy Unless we hurt and destroy. We'll fight in the name of God To plant religious seed If that's what faith is all about Then it's something we don't need. We'll try to force ideals To make others believe Though usually bitter memories Are all we ever leave. We'll battle for the power To keep the upper hand Take limb, body and life So we can have the land. We'll kill one another For silver and for gold Mankinds' greed is one thing Which never will grow old. We stockpile awesome weapons We say, "To keep the peace." That's kind of contradictory To say the very least. Could it be that's all that man Was ever destined for To end all life on this Earth With one last, final, war?

PEOPLE If they tried to do things That they know are right If they looked close at others Did it with insight. If they saw the good things Forgot about the bad If they made reality Come from the dreams they had. If they lived life honestly With open mind and heart If they followed through With the things they start. If they had compassion And love for fellow man _ If they knew just where They fit into lifes' plan. If they could live in peace Without the hate and greed If they who are prisoners Could be forever freed. If they would do these things What a nice world it would be But I guess that is one day People will never see. PROGRESS? The birth of our technology And the wisdom(?) of modern man Has begun a fateful process Which has altered Natures' Plan. The order of the life on Earth Has been left in disarray As mankind rearranges things Into his unnatural way. His dreams for the worlds' future Will be changed to a nightmare If he doesn't heed the warnings

Which surround him everywhere. The soil below's polluted By his dumps of toxic waste The groundwater filled with poisons That could kill with just one taste. Streams and rivers turned to sewers Flowing out into the sea To slowly kill that very thing That bears lifes' eternity. There's smoke and gases by the ton Sent into the atmosphere To fall back down as acid rain To alter climates of the year. Then there's the ever present "Bomb" To determine all lifes' fate And once that button has been pushed Then it will be, too damned late. THE MINDS' EYE How does the mind work? Will we ever, ever know? Will we ever know from where Thoughts and ideas flow? Will the feelings that we feel Remain a mystery? Will their place of origin Someday be something we can see? And what about the soul? Does it really live on? Have the powers that we have Been here since the worlds dawn? What's this thing called love We say comes from the heart? At times why does it hurt so much That it breaks our heart apart? What of the greed and hate There is so much of? Are these things put here By man or God above? Why must we fight and kill And cause misery and pain? Say, "That time I learned my lesson!" Then turn around, do it again? We rape the Earth, pollute it In the name of "progress" -

We think Mother Nature Is easy to outguess They say, "For everything There is a reason, why." But I swear I can't see it No, not here in my minds' eye. ENDANGERED SPECIES? We talk about what we can do To save what we don't kill But sadly it looks as if We never, ever will. We discuss all the things That could and should be done But it usually ends right there Before they ever are begun. We waste our precious time In our greedy haste We wait until it's gone And cannot be replaced. Then we'll bitch about it Let another take the blame And the worst part about it Next time we'll do the same.. Someday we will realize (Though it will be too late) We're the endangered species And have sealed our own fate. Would the world be better off Without the human being around? Without our intelligence(?) Maybe sanity would abound. Maybe peace and tranquility Will spread around the Earth Once we realize how little We are really worth. Let us hope we leave enough To start life anew That we don't kill it all Before we bid this world, adieu.

SILENT MESSAGE The beauty of the flowers As patiently they wait For the sunshine and the rain To make or seal their fate Standing silent in the dawn Petals straining toward the sky Wondering what the day will bring If they will live or die The same things which give them life Can take it all away Too much rain or sunshine Could make it their last day The hot sun may dry them up The falling rain might beat them down They'll fall back to Mother Earth And be swallowed by the ground But even so, in their death They'll help others to live Be a part of newborn life And continue to give Beauty to this barren world Bright colors to the gray A sweet fragrance in the air Where children run and play They ask nothing in return They just want their fair share Of the sunshine and the rain And the life-giving air But we pull them from the ground And trample them to death Pollute the air they breathe To make it their last breath We make it so the sunshine Can't get through the haze Make acid rain fall from the sky On those rainy days It's too bad flowers are wiser They give more than they take They realize what's needed What's needed for lifes' sake So listen to what the flowers Say with their silent word It's the most important message That you have never heard. A FISH STORY?

It's another world One that few have seen At times wild and stormy At times so serene. A place where life abounds Of every shape and size Where miracles seem to happen Right before your eyes. A garden paradise With flowers that can walk There's even some creatures Who know how to talk. There are some animals Not seen by the eye And there are fish found here Who have learned to fly. It has its' own mountains And rivers down below Still hiding some secrets Which we may never know. For millions of years It's cared for its' own And would for millions more If it were left alone. But man pollutes its' waters He dumps his garbage there Spills oil on its' surface He just doesn't seem to care. So, someday those fish stories Told from shore to shore Will be nothing more than Part of our folklore. THEN THERE WERE...... There were eighties songs and the eighties cars Movies of the decade and new-born superstars There were people fighting for freedom and liberty Some massacred and losing, some made it reality There were the pc's and space shots past the stars Miracles in medicine, compact discs and vcr's There were people starving, a drugged society The myths of public servants and old-age securi-ty -

There were waves in every kitchen, gadgetry galoreSelf-service service stations and the quickstop store There was poisoning of those things which give us lifeDestruction of the family, of the terms husband and wifeThere were all the experts who thought they knew more A how-to everything on the shelves of the book-store There were street people and the poor farm-ers' strife Bombings by those people who claim to be pro-l-ife There were computer games, the amazing micro--chip Watches with a tv and the low-cal chocolate chip There were mass murderers, the warfare in our streets Terrorists and hostages, the guy who rapes and beats There were fads and fashions, battles of the scale tip Malls built everywhere, to buy it all in just one trip There was the aids epidemic, a cure red tape defeats We seem to want to waste it so our treasury de-pletes There were lots of changes but which were for our good? But did we try to change the important ones, we should? There were a lot of chances but they are gone forever Let's hope in the year to come we'll do it right, together. ANOTHER YEAR THAT WAS There were those times, happy and good Lots of things done, that we should Goals and commitments we stuck by Some answers found, to questions, "Why?" But, that was the year that was! On the other hand, sadness and pain Those things, too late to try again Failure, promises we didn't keep Some questions/answers made us weep But, that was the year that was! A brand-new year ahead to change For better lives, to rearrange Each day gone, when it has past Too late to say, after the last But, that was the year was!" THINGS UNDONE It's not the things you did And shouldn't have It's the things you didn't And should have.

MAYBE THE END IS THE BEGINNING. EPILOGUE It is Sunday, February 24, 1991 and I am preparing this for printing. Yesterday coalition forces launched the ground battle to liberate Kuwait. Personally, I would have rather seen them continue the bombing of Iraq and Iraqi positions in Kuwait. I don't see how they could have held out too much longer. I suppose the powers that be know which course of action is the correct one much more than the average citizen. That's what we pay them for so I suppose we should trust their judgment and actions. The first pictures from the battle field were shown on CNN shortly after General Schwartzkopf initial briefing on the ground war. I must admit I had mixed emotions as I watched the Iraqi prisoners. One reaction was wanting to see the Saudi soldiers guarding them blow them away and the other was one of sympathy and compassion. The Generals' briefing sounded very positive and upbeat in these early stages and I only hope it continues on that way and we are able accomplish the mission with a minimal loss of life. War is hell.